Today (Sunday), following last week's military coup, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was fired by the ruling political party ZANU-PF, which he headed for 37 years. 93-year-old Mugabe was given less than 24 hours to resign or else face impeachment.

According to a local reporter, approximately 1.5 million citizens marched the streets in celebration without any violent incidents. The transfer of power to Mugabe’s rival and former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa was also completed peacefully. “Yesterday, there were marches in the capital of Harare,” the reported told Channel Online 2 News. “So many people actually supporting the war veterans and even the army and most of these people were never beaten.”

Protests against Mugabe Photo credit: Reuters/ Channel 2 News

The Zimbabwean coup d’état began after Mugabe fired Mnangagwa for alleged disloyalty. Last week, the heads of the military announced that they are seizing control of government institutions. Mugabe and his wife were placed under house arrest and some of their relatives were sent to jail. The military deployed forces across the capital but didn’t need to use any force as the majority of the country’s citizens supported the move.